I have always loved the outdoors. Growing up in the rural hills of Vermont, I could always be found out and about in nature. When I had kids, I passed my love for nature on to them and it was something that we always enjoyed together.
When my son got older he was having trouble adjusting to his traditional high school and the way the courses were taught so we looked into an outdoor education school. We decided it would be the perfect fit for him and we hoped he would excel there. I could just tell my son’s school was going to be nothing like my last stint in school at a law school in New England. This place was different from any other educational institution I had ever come across!
When the phone rang on the first day of school, I was anxious to hear his voice on the other line. He was simply ecstatic. The school focuses on outdoor education, and encourages students to truly get in touch with nature. They went on a hike their first day, and he said that he felt like he was at home instantly. He went on and on about how incredible the property and surrounding forest was and how he couldn’t believe he got to learn in such a surreal environment.
When he came home on one of his breaks he was so excited to tell me all about what he had learned. We went hiking the first day he got back and had the most amazing time. I had seen such a change in him and his zeal for life had returned. It was such an incredible thing to witness his deepened love of nature and the outdoors. I am thankful that my son and I have hiking to enjoy together. We truly bond over this activity, and it’s one of our favorite things to do together.
We have planned a trip to Yosemite, California, in the summer to go on more hiking excursions, and we cannot wait. My son is motivated to do well in school and get home for the summer with an excellent report card in hand so we can head off to Yosemite and explore!
Hiking is such a wonderful, heart-healthy activity, and it has allowed my son and me to become extremely close while having fun!
